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Finding Your Irish

February 27, 2014

Did your ancestors come from Ireland? Do you want to see if you can find out where in Ireland he or she came from? Do you want to know what their lives were like in Ireland? Or maybe, you are just stuck? If you are just starting out, find as much as you can about your ancestor using United States records/place of arrival records. Finding a clue that will give you at least a country of origin in Ireland is a must.

In the next few months, we’ll be offering classes to help you answer all of these burning questions. In The Irish: Some History, on March 6, 2014 at 7:00 p.m., we will talk about how the history of Ireland affected the Irish records we want to use.

Are you familiar with Griffith’s Valuation? Do you know what a townland is? Is your ancestor Scots-Irish? Have you ever researched church records (knowing your Irish ancestor’s religion is also a must)? If these are questions you have, join us for the second of the Irish classes, The Irish: Your Search Starts Here, on April 24, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. We will look at websites that you can use to start your Irish research that can be accessed easily.

The Irish were tied to the land, but for most of us, our ancestors didn’t own their land. If you have been lucky enough to find exactly where in Ireland your ancestor came from, you might be able to see him or his family in the Ireland Valuation Records. Come to MGC’s third Irish class,The Irish: They Were Tied to the Land, on May 8, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. We will talk about lots of records and where you can access them. The Irish have started sharing their records with the rest of the world and more information is going online every year.

So, don’t get discouraged if you have hit that brick wall! Sign up for these classes online or call the Midwest Genealogy Center at 816.252.7228. See you soon!!